Rail passengers across the Highlands are facing another day of disruption as strong winds and heavy rain return to Scotland, with ScotRail warning that journeys could take longer and services may be cancelled at short notice.
The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning from 3am until 9pm on Tuesday 27 October, with gusts of 50 to 60mph widely forecast and winds potentially exceeding 70mph in exposed northern and coastal areas.
The latest warning follows a stormy weekend that caused significant disruption to transport services across Scotland.
Network Rail has confirmed that precautionary speed restrictions will be introduced on several railway routes to protect passengers and staff from the dangers associated with high winds.
Across the Highlands, the restrictions will affect the Inverness to Kyle of Lochalsh line and the Far North Line between Inverness, Wick and Thurso.
Services between Aberdeen and Inverness will also be affected, alongside trains connecting Inverness with Edinburgh and Glasgow Queen Street.
The West Highland routes from Glasgow Queen Street to Oban and Mallaig are also included in the restrictions.
Elsewhere in Scotland, affected services include Glasgow Central to Largs, Glasgow Queen Street to Helensburgh Central and Ayr to Stranraer.
The measures mean trains will travel more slowly than usual, increasing journey times and creating the possibility of delays and cancellations.
Although the restrictions are precautionary, ScotRail has warned that services may need to be altered at short notice as weather conditions develop.
For passengers travelling between Highland communities, where rail services provide important connections for work, appointments and longer journeys, the disruption could make planning particularly difficult.
ScotRail Service Delivery Director Mark Ilderton said:
“Safety is always our top priority, and with more strong winds and heavy rain across Scotland on Tuesday, we’re asking customers to plan ahead and check their journey before travel.
“As a precautionary measure, some routes will have speed restrictions in place.
“These are essential to keep everyone safe but will mean some services may be delayed or altered at short notice.
“We’ll be working closely with Network Rail throughout, and our teams will do everything possible to keep people moving where it’s safe to do so.
“We’d encourage customers to make sure they have the latest version of the ScotRail app and check their journey before setting off.”
The railway operator is encouraging customers to allow additional time for travel and check for updates before leaving home.
Passengers can access the latest information through the ScotRail website, mobile app and official social media channels.
The company has also reminded customers to ensure they are using the latest version of its app to receive current journey information.
Unlike the precautionary line closures announced during Storm Boelo, Tuesday’s arrangements involve reduced speeds on the affected routes rather than planned closures.
However, further disruption remains possible if weather conditions deteriorate.
With another spell of unsettled weather approaching, ScotRail’s advice is straightforward: check your train before travelling and be prepared for journeys to take longer than expected.
